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An unpleasant sight in any tree is a nest full of tent worms. These little guys lay eggs and start to hatch in early spring, making a nest to house themselves. They can do some major damage if not taken care of, causing severe defoliation of a tree. They wrap their silky white nests around branches throughout the tree and start to take over. Early maintenance is the best tool for getting rid of them.

The caterpillars are mostly black in color, hairy, have a white stripe down their back lined with yellow and brown coloring and have small little dots down the side of their bodies. They can grow up to 2 1/2 inches long.

Sometimes you can spot egg masses encasing up to 150-400 eggs.

To get rid of these unsightly and pesky creatures, you can do a number of things.

If you notice a problem, removal of the egg masses in the fall/winter from your ornamental or fruit trees greatly reduces the chances of nests throughout spring.

If there are very few nests, they can be pruned out of the tree by hand. Once taken out, you can throw them away or burn them, using caution. Burning the nest while still in the tree is not advised because it could cause damage to the existing tree. Keep a watch out for more nests appearing on the same tree or surrounding ones, as the larvae can spread quickly to other plants.

If you have a more severe problem, we suggest these insecticides to control the problem. The larvae within the nest are more difficult to get rid of since they are encased.

Please feel free to call with any questions on how to control these little pests. 405-745-3500